1.
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle
–
He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle. A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served him for more than twenty years. He held power with his brother, Prime Minister Henry Pelham until 1754 and he had at this point served as a Secretary of State continuously for thirty years—dominating British foreign policy. After Henrys death the Duke was prime minister six years, in two separate periods, while his first premiership was not particularly notable, Newcastle precipitated the Seven Years War, his weak diplomacy cost him the premiership. After his second term as Prime Minister, he served for a short while in Lord Rockinghams ministry and he was most effective as a deputy to a leader of greater ability, such as Walpole, his brother, or Pitt. Few politicians in British history matched his skills and industry in using patronage to maintain power over long stretches of time and his genius appeared as the chief party manager for the Whigs, 1715-1761. He used his energy and his money to candidates, distribute patronage. He was especially influential in the counties of Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and his greatest triumph came in the 1734 election. Outside the electoral realm, his reputation has suffered, many modern historians have depicted him as the epitome of unredeemed mediocrity and as a veritable buffoon in office. He studied at Westminster School and was admitted a fellow-commoner at Clare College, Cambridge in 1710, Pelhams uncle died in 1711, and his father the next year, both leaving their large estates to their nephew and son. When he came of age in 1714, Lord Pelham was one of the greatest landowners in the kingdom, one stipulation of his uncles will was that his nephew add Holles to his name, which he faithfully did, thereafter styling himself as Thomas Pelham-Holles. A long-standing legal dispute over the estate with his Aunt was finally settled in 1714 and he increasingly identified with Whig politics, like his father and uncle – but whereas they had been moderate in their views, he grew increasingly more partisan and militant in his views. This issue dominated British politics during the last few years of Queen Annes reign and he joined the Hannover Club and the Kit Kat Club, both leading centres of Whig thinking and organisation. Newcastle House in London became his premier residence and he also became Lord-Lieutenant of the Counties of Middlesex and Nottingham and a Knight of the Garter. In his new position he was in charge of suppressing Jacobitism in the counties under his control, in Middlesex he arrested and questioned eight hundred people, and then drew up a Voluntary Defence Association to defend the county. During 1715 he became involved in a riot ended with two men being killed, and Newcastle fleeing along rooftops. The succession of George I was secured in late 1715 by the defeat of a Jacobite army at the Battle of Preston, the victory of the Hanoverians over the Jacobites marked the beginning of the Whig Ascendancy which lasted for much of the 18th century. Following their victory, the Whigs split with one forming the government for George I
2.
Palace of Westminster
–
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, the Palace lies on the bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster. The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and for ceremonial purposes, the building is managed by committees appointed by both houses, which report to the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker. The first royal palace was built on the site in the 11th century, part of the New Palaces area of 3.24 hectares was reclaimed from the Thames, which is the setting of its nearly 300-metre long façade, called the River Front. Barry was assisted by Augustus Pugin, an authority on Gothic architecture and style. The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom, Westminster has become a metonym for the UK Parliament, the Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The Palace of Westminster site was important during the Middle Ages. Known in medieval times as Thorney Island, the site may have been first-used for a residence by Canute the Great during his reign from 1016 to 1035. St Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Anglo-Saxon monarch of England, Thorney Island and the surrounding area soon became known as Westminster. Neither the buildings used by the Anglo-Saxons nor those used by William I survive, the oldest existing part of the Palace dates from the reign of William Is successor, King William II. The Palace of Westminster was the principal residence in the late Medieval period. The predecessor of Parliament, the Curia Regis, met in Westminster Hall, simon de Montforts parliament, the first to include representatives of the major towns, met at the Palace in 1265. The Model Parliament, the first official Parliament of England, met there in 1295, in 1512, during the early years of the reign of King Henry VIII, fire destroyed the royal residential area of the palace. In 1534, Henry VIII acquired York Place from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, renaming it the Palace of Whitehall, Henry used it as his principal residence. Although Westminster officially remained a royal palace, it was used by the two Houses of Parliament and by the various law courts. Because it was originally a residence, the Palace included no purpose-built chambers for the two Houses. Important state ceremonies were held in the Painted Chamber which had originally built in the 13th century as the main bedchamber for King Henry III. The House of Commons, which did not have a chamber of its own, the Commons acquired a permanent home at the Palace in St Stephens Chapel, the former chapel of the royal palace, during the reign of Edward VI
3.
British general election, 1754
–
Owing to the extensive use of corruption and the Duke of Newcastles personal influence in the pocket boroughs, the government was returned to office with a working majority. The old parties had disappeared almost completely by this stage, anyone with reasonable hopes of achieving office called himself a Whig, a small group of members of parliament still considered themselves Tories, but they were almost totally irrelevant to practical politics and entirely excluded from holding public office. The resulting 11th Parliament of Great Britain was convened on 31 May 1754, see British general election,1796 for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain, the general election was held between 13 April 1754 and 20 May 1754. At this period elections did not take place at the time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough fixed the precise date
4.
House of Commons of Great Britain
–
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In the course of the 18th century, the office of Prime Minister developed, the modern notion that only the support of the House of Commons is necessary for a government to survive, however, was of later development. Similarly, the custom that the Prime Minister is always a Member of the Lower House, rather than the Upper one, the business of the house was controlled by an elected Speaker. The Speakers official role was to debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes. The Speaker decided who may speak and had the powers to members who break the procedures of the house. The Speaker often also represented the body in person, as the voice of the body in ceremonial, the title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerford in the Parliament of England. By convention, Speakers are normally addressed in Parliament as Mister Speaker, if a man, or Madam Speaker, if a woman. The members of the last House of Commons of England had been elected between 7 May and 6 June 1705, and from 1707 they all continued to sit as members of the new House of Commons. The last general election in Scotland had been held in the autumn of 1702, in Scotland there was also no new election from the burghs, and the places available were filled by co-option from the last Parliament. The constituencies which elected members in England and Wales remained unchanged throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain
5.
Arthur Onslow
–
Arthur Onslow PC was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, Onslow was born in Kensington, the elder son of Foot Onslow and his wife Susannah née Anlaby. He was educated at The Royal Grammar School, Guildford and Winchester College and matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford in 1708 and he was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1713, but had no great practice in law. When George I came to the throne, Onslows uncle Sir Richard Onslow was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Richard left office in 1715, Arthur obtained a place as receiver general of the Post Office. He became Recorder of Guildford in 1719, as his Post Office position was not compatible with a parliamentary seat, he passed it on to his younger brother Richard when he entered Parliament in 1720 for Guildford. On 8 October 1720, Onslow married Anne Bridges, daughter of John Bridges of Thames Ditton, Surrey, and the niece and coheir of Henry Bridges of Imber Court. After his father-in-law died in the mid-1720s, Onslow came into the estate, which had increased through the addition of the holding of Anns sister, Rose. Inheriting estates from his wifes family considerably improved Onslows financial position, Onslow made Imber Court in Thames Ditton his principal seat. Onslow and Anne had two children, George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow Anne Onslow In February 1720, Onslow had been returned as Whig Member of Parliament for Guildford at a by-election and he represented that borough until Parliament was dissolved in 1727. During this period, he was known to have declared against a proposal to levy Roman Catholics in 1722, in 1726, he was one of the Commons managers for the trial of Macclesfield for corruption. On 23 January 1728, Onslow was unanimously elected Speaker of the House of Commons and he would be unanimously re-elected Speaker in 1735,1741,1747 and 1754, setting a record for length of service in that office. On 25 July 1728, he was sworn of the Privy Council, the following year, on 13 May 1729, he was made Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal to Queen Caroline, who was godmother to his son George in 1731. Onslows speakership was distinguished by his integrity in a corrupt. His great achievement as Speaker was to assert the independence, authority, while he continued to participate in ordinary political activity, speaking and voting in committee, he did not hesitate to oppose Government policy when necessary. Onslow saw his role to be the protection and defense of Parliament in the established by the Glorious Revolution. He insisted on rigidly observing parliamentary forms and procedure, which he viewed as a protection to independent MPs, but his devotion to precedent led him to condemn the reporting of parliamentary debates as breach of privilege. On 20 April 1734, Onslow received the office of Treasurer of the Navy. In 1742, after casting his vote on a political issue
.jpg)
